EXCLUSIVE: DailyMail.com goes INSIDE the notorious Mykonos beach bar DK Oyster where foreigners are charged $18 PER oyster and HUNDREDS for a drink: Locals pay just a fraction of the price and staff LAUGH about ripping tourists off!
- A string of customers say they were scammed at the DK Oyster bar in Greece
- DailyMail.com spoke to tourists who said they were charged exorbitant prices
- All said they were not informed of prices before they ordered and were intimidated by burly waiters when handed their bills
- Yet, when a local shop worker ordered in Greek, he was offered oysters for a quarter of the price holidaymakers have complained of being charged
- He paid the equivalent of $50 for one ‘football sized’ cocktail ‘with many liquors mixed in’ by a bartender who laughed out loud when waiters told it would’ve cost three times as much if he was a tourist
- DK Oyster owner Dimitrios Kalamara has blasted people who complain about their bill as ‘wannabe influencers’ trying to gain attention
- Have you fallen victim to rip-off prices at DK Oyster or another Mykonos establishment? Email [email protected]
The notorious Mykonos beach bar repeatedly accused of forcing tourists to pay sky-high prices warns locals away because ‘it’s expensive’, yet charges them just a fraction of what unsuspecting holidaymakers are charged.
A string of customers – all foreign tourists – told DailyMail.com that they were ‘scammed’ in the past week after being forced to shell out hundreds of euros at DK Oyster, a beachfront restaurant on the ritzy Greek Island.
All the victims told how they were not informed of prices before they ordered and were intimidated by burly waiters when handed their bills. Several claimed they were lured into the bar by touts promising them free use of sunbeds if they bought just one drink each.
DailyMail.com uncovered evidence that only foreign tourists were being charged outrageous prices at the bar on the fashionable Greek holiday island.
A local shop worker who ordered in Greek was told that he could have six oysters for just €30 – roughly $30 and at $5 per oyster it’s nearly a quarter of the price that holidaymakers had to pay.
Despite saying he only wanted a drink and wasn’t hungry, waiters offered him six oysters for $30 – at $5 per oyster, that is almost a quarter of the $18-per-oyster that holidaymakers have complained of being charged. He declined.
He was then charged $50 for one cocktail ‘the size of a football’ by waiters who told him he was lucky he wasn’t a tourist because it would’ve cost ‘three times the price – and one of the bar staff laughed loud’.
DK Oyster became notorious in May 2019 when it charged a group of American tourists more than $800 for six plates of calamari, six beers, three chicken Caesar salad starters, two bottle of water and a glass of tomato juice.
DailyMail.com asked a Greek shop worker called Costas, 32, to carry out a test to see whether locals would be charged the same prices at the notoriously expensive bar. He ordered in Greek and was initially warned away by staff who said it was ‘expensive’ paid the equivalent of $50.80 for one cocktail by staff who told him ‘it was lucky I wasn’t a tourist, as my drink would’ve been three times the price and one of the bar staff laughed loud’. Despite saying he wasn’t hungry, he was offered oysters at €30 ($30) for a plate of six at €5 ($5) each, instead of the €18 ($18) per oyster which the French tourists were charged
One ‘football sized’ drink for a local man cost $50. Many foreign tourists reported being forced to pay outrageous prices – while local shop worker who ordered in Greek was told that he could have six oysters for the equivalent of $30. At $5 a piece they are nearly a quarter of the $18-per-oyster that holidaymakers have complained of being forced to pay
Costas’s ‘football sized’ glass with a cocktail ‘with many liquors mixed in’. He said: ‘They still charged me €50, and I would’ve expected to pay probably no more than €15.’ His waiter said it would have cost ‘three times the price’ if he’d been a tourist, prompting a loud laugh from the bartender
When local shop worker Costas, 32, carried out a test for DailyMail.com to see whether locals would be charged the same high prices at the bar when ordering in Greek, he was warned away by staff because the ‘prices were very high’.
He said: ‘They brought me a cocktail after I had ordered in Greek. I had told them that I lived in Mykonos and was a local man like they were.
‘They first said to me that I shouldn’t come into the bar, as the prices were very high and that I might not be able to afford it.
‘As we got talking, they became friendly and served me with a cocktail in a glass which had a rim which was probably the diameter of a football.
‘One waiter said it was lucky I wasn’t a tourist, as my drink would’ve been three times the price and one of the bar staff laughed loud.
‘But they still charged me $50, and I would’ve expected to pay probably no more than $15. But it was quite a big drink with many liquors mixed in. I feel a little crazy and light-headed now as it was a powerful drink.
‘But I’m sorry that tourists are being overcharged by that bar and I will not be visiting it again as I’m unhappy about this.
‘I was not aware of this bar and the cheating of visitors to Mykonos, but I will warn my customers as well as ask my friends to warn others too.’
Last week, New Jersey lawyer Theodora McCormick, 50, and her husband, say they were slapped with a $557 bill for a dozen oysters, two outsize beers served in giant glass boots and two cocktails.
But headlines about the couple’s experience failed to deter the bar’s staff from shamelessly targeting new victims last week at the bar and diner in PlatisGialos on the southern tip of Mykonos.
Danish nurses Amanda Miehs and Almma Rasmussen from Copenhagen were left close to tears after being asked to pay €533 ($541) for one Mojito, a Red Bull energy drink and two plates of moussaka and calamari
Almma, 25, (left) with her friend Amanda, 28, were given a bill for €553 – $562 – and after an argument about the price, the staff agreed to reduce the bill by €118 to €433 – $440
The ‘discounted’ €433 bill for Amanda and Almma’s order of one Mojito, a Red Bull energy drink and two plates of moussaka and calamari
Danish nurses Amanda Miehs and Almma Rasmussen from Copenhagen were left close to tears after being asked to pay €533 for one Mojito, a Red Bull energy drink and two plates of moussaka and calamari.
Amanda, 28, told DailyMail.com: ‘We were passing that bar and they offered us the use of sunbeds for myself and Almma if we bought a drink.
‘The beach was very crowded as the sunbeds in the other bars were very busy, so we accepted.
‘We only had one cocktail, a Red Bull and some tap water. They told us it was €24 for the moussaka.
‘I kept asking them for the bill or the menu so that I could see what we would be in charged. But they never gave it to us until the end.
‘We only had one cocktail, a Red Bull and some tap water. They told us it was €24 for the moussaka,’ said Amanda, 28
‘We just wanted to get out of there as three of the waiters stood only a few inches from our faces and kept saying we were stupid people and that we had to pay the money before we could leave,’ said Almma, right
‘One of the waiters said several times that he could not show us the charges because he had given us a discount and he had to clear it with his boss.
‘During our time there our friend Paresa, who is also on holiday in Mykonos, called us and said that she hoped we were not at the bar that she had read about that had cheated people out of money by overcharging.’
Almma, 25, added: ‘We became concerned and decided to leave. I realized why the sunbeds next to us were mostly empty as this must have been because people had been warned like our friend just told us.
‘When we went inside the bar to pay, they gave us a bill for €553 which really upset us and we told them how angry we were.
‘We swore at them and they swore back at us, but then they agreed to reduce the bill by €118 to €433.
‘By then we just wanted to get out of there as three of the waiters stood only a few inches from our faces and kept saying we were stupid people and that we had to pay the money before we could leave.
‘There were no waitresses and only men and they scared us.
‘I wonder what would have happened if we had refused to pay anything more than a few euros which is what it should’ve been.
‘We are very upset and I cannot understand how that bar is open when it has been publicly exposed for cheating tourists.’
Phillipe Lafaix and his wife Christin who live in Paris claimed they were charged €417 on Wednesday for six oysters each, two margaritas and a bottle of mineral water.
The oysters alone cost €213 which is almost four times what diners at London’s famous Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill pay for its ‘Shellfish Platter’ featuring oysters, mussels, crevettes, clams and whelks.
When the couple challenged the bill and claimed it was ‘a blatant swindle’, the couple were led to the back of the bar and ordered: ‘Pay up now and get out.’
Phillipe Lafaix and his wife Christine who live in Paris (pictured at DK Oyster with their oysters and margaritas) claimed they were charged €417 ($424) on Wednesday for six oysters each, two margaritas and a bottle of mineral water. When the couple challenged the bill and claimed it was ‘a blatant swindle’, the couple were led to the back of the bar and ordered: ‘Pay up now and get out’
Company executive Phillipe Lafaix and his wife Christine (pictured). Phillipe, 59, said: ‘The man who served us called me stupid and said I had to pay €417 even though I told him we had never been shown a menu and that the price was a disgrace’
Company executive Phillipe, a Liverpool supporter, said they felt forced to pay the bill as staff were so menacing.
Phillipe, 59, said: ‘The man who served us called me stupid and said I had to pay €417 even though I told him we had never been shown a menu and that the price was a disgrace.
‘He said, ‘You are stupid and that is what you must pay’, and I was going to refuse but we got scared when three men stood in front of us.
‘The bar was really friendly at first as we walked by, and they said we could use the sunbeds for free if we had a drink.
‘We didn’t want to use the sunbeds, so we sat at a table at the front of the restaurant and ordered two margaritas, six oysters each and some water.
‘We were there for an hour and as we are on holiday we wanted to relax and at no time were we offered or given a price list so we could see how much they would ask for the drinks.’
Christine, 58, who is the director of a renewable energy firm said: ‘When they brought us the margaritas, they were in huge glasses filled to the rim.
‘I thought there was no way at all that we could drink those empty and I wondered if there might be some ulterior motive by the bar.
Phillipe and Christine Lafaix’s receipt at DK Oyster Bar with the tip added
Phillipe and Christine Lafaix’s receipt shows two margaritas at €58 each
‘Maybe they served big cocktails like that so people could get drunk and order more and more drinks and they can ask more money
‘People would not know how much they were spending and just keep drinking.’
She said she and her husband could not finish their massive cocktails before the sobering moment when they asked for the bill
Christine said: ‘More than €400 they asked for! I was shocked and thought the bill for that one hour was more than our flights to and from Paris as I had booked them six months before.
‘The bill also had an added €50 as a tip. I thought, ‘What for?’ All they did was serve us once and the man at the front who was wearing all black had stared at us through his dark shades the whole time and made us feel very uncomfortable.
‘Maybe they were setting us up and scaring us for when the bill was to arrive.’
Phillipe added: ‘When the bill was given to me, I was shocked. When I told them it was too much, they asked me to come to the back of the bar.
‘They showed me a tariff then and I saw it was €18 per Oyster which was just ridiculous. The oysters were not even that good. They were too dry and almost tasteless.
‘My wife and I live in Paris and we know about great food. This was not good food and the bill was a scandal.
‘But it was like meeting the mafia. I felt I had no choice but to give them €417.91 to be able to leave. I did wonder whether I should absolutely refuse, but I decided not to.
‘But I want to warn others not to go there. They will get ripped off just like us. Mykonos is a nice friendly holiday island, and I cannot understand why the Mykonos authorities haven’t taken away the bar’s alcohol license.’
DK Oyster, an infamous Mykonos beach bar accused of charging tourists sky-high prices continues to fleece unsuspecting victims
Mexican security official Daniel Paz, 44, who was with his wife and two children were charged €275 for two cocktails and two soft drinks.
As they emerged from the bar, Daniel from Guadalajara, said: ‘Disgusting. Outrageous and theft of my money.
‘I had no clue that this bar was going to treat me like this until I got the bill. In fact, they took my credit card charged it for €275 and then came back with the bill and the credit card receipt.
‘I could not make a scene because my two young daughters were here. I didn’t want them to get upset if I shouted at the bar’s staff for cheating us. I can afford this amount because my wife and I both have good jobs.
‘But that still does not give them an excuse to do this. I do not know what to do except accept that they have taken my money and that I will never see it again.
‘We are on holiday here and the Greek people have been very nice to us. But these people are spoiling the name and character of Mykonos.
‘I am glad that the media are reporting on this bar. Tourists need to be warned. Somebody should stand outside the bar with a banner warning the tourists not to enter.’
DK Oyster bar has its sunbeds crammed together in eleven rows under black umbrellas and is sandwiched between other bars and restaurants where food and drink can be bought for a fraction of the price.
The Acrogiali Beach Hotel next door, which allows customers to use their cell phones at its tables to scan a QR code for menus and prices, charges just €14.5 for margaritas, and staff do not charge tips.
While sunbeds in neighboring bars appeared to be generally full last week, those at DK Oyster seemed far less popular, suggesting that word had got around about its alleged scamming.
DailyMail.com witnessed the bar’s all-male staff who dress in black trying to snare tourists walking past by enticing them with offers of sunbed-use if they purchased a single drink.
A waiter in a nearby restaurant who asked not to be named said: ‘My advice is not to go in there as they make people pay too much money by scaring them.
‘Everyone knows everyone on this beach. We just tell our customers and those staying in hotels here to stay away from there.
‘But we worry that they might get angry with the other businesses. They are not nice people in there.’
A hotelier, who also asked not to be identified, said: ‘They are giving a terrible name to Mykonos, and it seems like they are being allowed to continue doing their bad business.
‘Nobody has stopped them. But even though more and more people are becoming aware of them, there unfortunately will always be tourists who innocently go there and become victims too.’
When DailyMail.com visited the restaurant we were charged €212.50 for a plate of fried potatoes, two beers, six oysters and bottle of mineral water which was never ordered.
When DailyMail.com visited the restaurant we were charged €212.50 for a plate of fried potatoes, two beers, six oysters (pictured) and bottle of mineral water which was never ordered.
The fried potatoes that made up part of DailyMail.com’s €212.50 order at DK Oyster
We went to the restaurant after Theodora McCormick, 50, a lawyer from New Jersey, last week said she and her husband were outraged by their massive bill while on vacation on the ritzy Greek Island.
She said she and her husband were looking for a taxi back to their hotel on the last day of their holiday when a staff member at DK Oyster said they could call a cab inside.
Mrs McCormick said: ‘I told my husband, ‘Oh, why don’t we call a taxi and grab a drink.’ That was my big mistake.’
When she asked for a cocktail menu, she said the waiter didn’t bring one and instead listed drink options aloud.
The couple ordered two beers, two martinis, and also a dozen oysters which Mrs McCormick said the waiter nagged them into having.
The beers arrived in giant glass boots, each containing around three pints, and the couple braced themselves to pay premium prices.
‘Mrs McCormick said: ‘It was Mykonos, we knew it was going to be ridiculous. 250-odd euros, that’s what we were thinking. But when we got the bill, it was around €500.
‘My husband was like, ‘There’s got to be a mistake.’
DK has a poor rating on Tripadvisor – with scores of former customers warning of its rip-off prices and aggressive staff – but tourists keep being lured in
She said when they complained ‘a group of big, hulking men’ surrounded them until they agreed to pay. ‘They have no female waiters,’ she added.
Mrs McCormick said she realized in hindsight that the restaurant was an obvious ‘scam’.
But bar owner Dimitrios Kalamara, called the couple ‘wannabe influencers’ who were trying to gain attention.
TripAdvisor has been flooded with ‘one star’ reviews for the bar, giving it a ‘terrible’ rating and warning visitors of its overinflated prices.
One disgruntled tourist wrote: ‘Never again, Never again, never again. They have overcharged us like 30 times more than normal. We have excepted high prices, But not more than €200 for just three drinks.’
Another wrote this week: ‘Scam. If you can’t conduct business fairly then don’t. Way too expensive and they don’t let you know in advance.’
A third customer posted on the site: ‘Steer away! Over expensive and a tourist trap! Nothing more than a regular Taverna but 10 times more expensive. No one can pay €90-€100 for a beer, Come on like, it can’t be justified.’
Another wrote last Thursday: ‘I was not aware of the bad reviews. My mistake. €250 price for 70 Euro restaurant value food a few drinks. DO NOT VISIT!’
DK Oyster owner Dimitrios Kalamara has called those who complain about the charges ‘wannabe influencers’ trying to gain attention
Earlier this month, Canadian newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen were charged $410 for a beer, a cocktail and 12 oysters at the bar
DK Oyster boss Mr Kalamaras has consistently been unrepentant about his prices, insisting that they are justified by the quality of his food and the stunning beach-side location.
He denied customers’ claims that they are not told prices before they step inside, saying he had positioned blackboards at the entrance to the restaurant displaying his prices.
Mr Kalamaras accused many of his reviewers on TripAdvisor of lying, saying ‘no adult in their right mind’ would order a drink without seeing prices beforehand.
His restaurant website has four ‘set menus for dinner’, with no prices listed.
For the use of sunbeds and umbrellas, the bar says they are free but adds in capitals: ‘THE MONEY YOU PAY WORK AS A DEPOSIT.’
It also tells the customers who use the sunbeds in the first two lines (skirting the surf) ‘You have to buy a bottle of champagne DOM PERIGNON.’
The website says: ‘Imagine the sun setting behind the horizon; feel the last light of day getting dimmer and the coolness of the night slowly settling in.
‘This is the time when you wish to be with your loved one, treating them with a romantic dinner, or with your friends, to start your evening in elegance and style, with the finest tastes.
‘Dinnertime at the DK Oyster is an elegant affair, almost as if it was set in a distant land, away from the summery fun of the beach; yet, it blends in harmony with the seashore vibe, making you feel like the entire beach is yours, set for your pleasure only!’
Source: Read Full Article
